Page 3 - College Planning & Management, September 2017

Campus Scene IN THE SPOTLIGHT
New Media Center Opens at Essex County College
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING
of a new $4 million state-of-the-art media center and student lounge at the school’s main campus in downtown Newark, NJ. Designed by RSC Architects, the renovated 18,800-square-foot Information Commons is now open to 18,000+ students.
The new media center features 140 computer workstations, seven classrooms, breakout rooms, open lounges and a computer lab — creating an atmosphere that encourages collaboration, creativity and relaxation. The innovative design incorpo- rates natural elements like a living garden wall of regenerative plants and a curved water wall that utilizes synthetic oil between two pieces of glass to create the look of flowing water to contrast the campus’ hectic urban location.
The year-long project transformed a decades-old library. Existing tall stacks and par- tition walls were removed to promote collaboration and cooperation between students, faculty and staff. Subdued blue carpeting was combined with contemporary furniture cast against wood paneling and glass partitions to enhance the tranquil environment.
Ask the Expert
This Month
Digital Fabrication
Innovation in Three
Dimensions
ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE
world. For researches engaged in fabrication- aided design, additive technology it is not just a 3D printer. It’s an idea engine. No longer does thinking, designing or fabricating need to happen in one dimension, color, texture or material. No longer will researchers be held back or encounter complicated roadblocks to proving hypothesis or bringing new ideas to life. Traditional manufacturing is centered on fabricating with homogeneous materials, but today, with additive technology, we can think about materials in a completely different way.
Imagine if you could design and fabricate from the bottom up, with pure control over the microscopic properties of the materials you are using. In the world of painting, this might be pixel by pixel, in biology it is cell
by cell and in 3D printing this is voxel by voxel, allowing researchers to create almost anything. From art with photorealistic color, to biomimics of the body that look and feel real, to 3D printed materials that mimic traditional building materials of brick or wood, we can draw on those strengths with a new aesthetic that put CGI to shame. Multi- material machines, like the ones academic researchers and developers use to create new design parameters, are changing the way we design, fabricate and manufacture today.
So, the advice we have for you — think smaller; voxel small — and stop letting layers or CAD hold you back. Let your fabrication- aided design be your guide and let your ideas be your only limitation. Many leaders in innovation, including those at Columbia, MIT, Fraunhoefer Institute, Singapore University of Technology and Duke University, are already using this new design consideration.
Ohad Meyuhas is the director of Academic Research and the resident thinker/tinker at Stratasys, partnering with global researchers who are changing the world one voxel at a time. He can be reached at edu.curriculum@ stratasys.com.
Kalamazoo Valley
CC Brewing Program
Gains Recognition
Kalamazoo Valley Community Col- lege’s Sustainable Brewing program is one of the first ever to receive recogni- tion from the Master Brewers Asso- ciation of the Americas (MBAA). The Kalamazoo, MI-based college is among eight other schools in the U.S. and Canada to meet or exceed the guidelines and learning outcomes set by the MBAA.
This recognition follows news of a
recent award by the U.S. Open College Beer Championship. Kalamazoo Valley was the top winner in the craft beer competition for beers exclusively brewed by college and university brewing and fermentation programs.
Kalamazoo Valley offers a Certificate, Associate of Applied Science degree,
and an Associate in Science degree in Sustainable Brewing. Program options are designed to prepare students for employment in brewing and related
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SEPTEMBER 2017 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 3